Microfluidic technology applications

The book is divided into several chapters which include micromachining methods, microfluidic operations (microfluidic flow, sample introduction, sample preconcentration), chemical separations, detection technology, and various chemical and biochemical analysis (applications on cellular analysis, nucleic acid analysis, and protein analysis). Emphasis will be placed on analytical applications although the basic principles about micromachining and fluid flow and control will also be covered only to the extent that their understanding will assist the exploitation of the microfluidic technology on analytical applications. 

Koch, M. Evans, A. Brunnschweiler, A. Microfluidic Technology and Applications, Research Studies Press, Ltd. Hertfordshire, U.K., 2000. 

These diverse fields of applications are associated with a number of analytical and diagnostic tasks. This outlines the field for the microfluidic technology, which has to measure itself against the state-of-the-art in performance and costs. Table 2 gives an exemplary overview on some important requirements of the different market segments and application examples, with respect to the following selection criteria ... 

Microfluidic technology for chemical or bioanalytical purposes concerns the precise control of fluids in a limited space, which may be intentionally patterned on chips, because a number of valuable benefits are expected from such systems [1,2]. As many articles and reviews have pointed out, the alleged advantages include reduced reagent consumption, short analysis time, a small-sized scale, low cost, and high sensitivity. Over the last two decades, there has been an explosive development of miniaturized analytical systems and related techniques based on microfluidics for chemical analysis, bioanalysis, clinical diagnostics, and other applications [3-15]. 

Abstract In this perspective article, we introduce a potentially transformative DNA/RNA detection technology that promises to replace DNA microarray and real-time PCR for field applications. It represents a new microfluidic technology that fully exploits the small spatial dimensions of a biochip and some new phenomena unique to the micro- and nanoscales. More specifically, it satisfies aU the requisites for portable on-field applications fast, small, sensitive, selective, robust, label- and reagent-free, economical to produce, and possibly PCR-free. We discuss the mechanisms behind the technology and introduce some preliminary designs, test results, and prototypes. 

This volume entitled Microfluidics Technologies and Applications presents the current status of selected areas of this broad discipline. It features 11 chapters in total written by authors from 10 leading groups all over the world. Its content covers a spectrum of topics pertaining to fundamentals, basic technologies and applications. 

This volume is finalized with four reviews on applications Steven A Soper and his colleagues from Louisiana State University, US, kindly contribute two chapters on applications of microfluidic technology on DNA and proteins respectively in the chapter written by Danny van Noor and his colleagues in National University of Singapore write a chapter on the cell in microfluidics and the last chapter is contributed by the editor s group, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS,... 

In this chapter, we focus on the application of microfluidic technology for chemical-content analysis of individual cells and highlight novel techniques that are thought to be important for future development and improvement of this technology. Before discussing the applications, we summarize essential components of the microfluidic devices for single-cell analysis. 

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